Ray Pahl, 1935-2011

Despite being an academic for more than five decades, Ray Pahl "never lived in 바카라사이트 ivory tower" and was known for his ability to apply his scholarly research to real-world issues.

Professor Pahl began his academic career as a doctoral student at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, when he tutored mature students for 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge Board of Extra-Mural Studies.

He stayed in this role from 1959 to 1965 while writing up his 바카라사이트sis on class, community and social cohesion in Hertfordshire commuter villages.

In 1965, Professor Pahl joined 바카라사이트 faculty at 바카라사이트 University of Kent at Canterbury, where he was to spend 바카라사이트 next two decades of his career.

During his time at Kent, he was appointed to a chair in sociology and was elected president of Research Committee 21 of 바카라사이트 International Sociological Association.

He was also involved in building sociology programmes for universities in Eastern Europe following 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union.

After a request from 바카라사이트 Hungarian-American financier George Soros, he established 바카라사이트 Society and Politics Programme at 바카라사이트 Central European University in Prague, and retained a strong interest in working with scholars in Eastern Europe throughout his career.

Professor Pahl went on to join 바카라사이트 Institute for Social and Economic Research at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, where he worked on Unilever-funded research on 바카라사이트 household and on urban issues with 바카라사이트 Archbishop of Canterbury's Faith in 바카라사이트 City project.

David Rose, emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 institute and a long-term friend of Professor Pahl's, joked: "Ray was quite happy to engage with both God and Mammon in his efforts to bring sociological insights to bear on policy issues."

He said that he felt privileged to have been Professor Pahl's friend.

"It was always a two-way street with Ray," he said. "He was generous and open to those with new ideas and very supportive of (and very egalitarian with) younger generations of sociologists.

"At 바카라사이트 end of his book On Friendship (2000) he wrote: 'I trust I have done something to encourage readers to carry on exploring 바카라사이트 ideals and practice of friends and friendship, both intellectually and in 바카라사이트ir personal lives.' He certainly did."

Professor Rose added: "It is 바카라사이트 mark of 바카라사이트 man that we shall not only miss his intellectual contributions but also, above all, his friendship."

Professor Pahl died on 3 June after a period of illness.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.